Kenya Police has issued a warning over the increase of fake number plates in the Country.
The head of the flying squad Musa Yego explained that criminals have devised new ways in which they steal cars meant for other markets and create new number plates for them.
This, the officer explained, often led to duplicate number plates mounted on two different cars.
“These cases are increasing. Cars are being stolen and sold to unsuspecting Kenyans. Yards are full of brokers and they keep driving stolen cars to these yards and selling them without detection,” Yego stated.
He further warned the public against acquiring a vehicle whose details they had not verified revealing that the con men had even infiltrated the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
“Since anyone can access car details, it is easy for the con men to extract the same and make fake logbooks.” the officer explained.
He called for members of the public to be cautious since most of the vehicles stolen often engage in crime and the genuine owners of the number plates may be mistaken for criminals.
At the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the authorities deal with 10 cases of fake number plates every month.
The vehicles stolen are often destined for other landlocked countries such as Uganda and South Sudan and imported through the Mombasa port.
The flying Squad officers have a system in which once a number plate is keyed into, all the details of the vehicle including the colour, the manufacturer and year of manufacture will display.
“Several cars are stolen day in day out and we urge the public to be on the lookout for fake number plates and report them,” Yego advised.
